Stapling mechanism



Jan. 24, 1928.

STAPLING MECHANISM Filed Sept. 8, 1924 3 Sheets-Sheet l i {D i 30 L a x 25 27 20 lily/07mm:

Z/adzrfjk zu/iom Jan. 24, 1928.

1,657,133 W. F. NEWHOUSE STAPLING MECHANISM Filed Sept. 8, 1924 3 Sheets-Sheet 2 zlewl il aw a Patented Jan. 24, 1928.

umran STATES PATENT OFFICE.

WALTERF. NEWHOUSE, OF BENTON HARBOR, MICHIGAN, ASSIGNOR TO SARANAG MACHINE COMZPANY, OF BENTON HARBOR, MICHIGAN, A CORPORATION OF MICHI- GAN.

STAPLIITG MECHANISM.

Application filed September 8, 1924., Serial No. 736,475.

This invention relates to stapling machinery, or machinery for making and driving staples, and particularly to machines of this kind in which the staples are made from lengths of'wire which are cut oif and bent to form the staples. In staple forming and driving machines of this kind, itis important that the staples be supportedlaterally while being inserted, and this is especially true in cases where the insertion of the staple is in hard material. If the staple is not effectively supported at each side thereof, while being driven, it is liable to bend or crumple, thus forming a bad head for the staple, or perhaps something more serious. In other words, staples are often made from small wire, and staples of this kind, especially if of some length, must be effectively supported to prevent buckling or bending of the sides or legs of the staple during the insertion thereof in hard material, and "also, of course, when the points of the staple strike the clincher block of the machine.

Generally stated, therefore, the object of this invention is to provide a novel and improved construction, whereby the sides or the legs of the staples will be supported throughout the length of the staple, and at every point from the top to the lower ends of the staple, during the operation of inserting the staple into any desired material, whereby there will be no place or point or points where the staple is left unsupported or free to bulge or bend outwardly during the insertion thereof in the desired material. and during the clinching of the points of the staple.

It is also an object to provide certain details and features of construction and novel 4 combinations tending to increase the general efficiency and desirability of a staple forming and driving mechanism of this particular character.

To the foregoing and other useful ends I the invention consists in matters hereinafter set forth and claimed and shown in the accompanying drawings in which Fig. 1 is a side elevation of a staple forming and driving mechanism embodying the 80 principles of the invention, showing the parts in position to cut off and form the length of wire into a staple, and showing the casing of the stapler head in vertical section.

Fig. 2 is a front elevation of said mechanism, looking toward the left in Figure 1,

vertical section.

Fig. 3 is a view similar to Figure 1, but

showing the parts in different positions.

Fig. 4 is a view similar to Figure 2, but showing the parts in the same positions in which they appear in Figure 3.

Fig. 5is aview similar to the lower portion of Figure 2, showing the wire in position to be cut off to provide a length suitable for the formation of the staple.

Fig. 6 is a view similar to Figure 5, but showing the staple former and driver moved downward a distance, and showing the length of wire bent into staple form.

Fig. 7 is a view similar to Figure 5, but showing the parts in such position that the staple is partially inserted in the materials below.

Fig. 8 is a horizontal section on line 8-8 in Figure 7 Fig. 9 is a horizontal section on line 99 in Figure 5.

As thus illustrateil, the invention comprises a vertical stap e former 1, having its lower portion formed with a centrally located vertical slot 2, and having its upper end formed with a: notch 3, said former being adapted to slide up'and down in the casting or stapler head 4- ordinarily provided for this purpose, pr of any suitable character. The staple driver 5 is formed to slide up and down in the slot 2, being provided with the ribs 6 to engage the grooves 7 on the sides of the slot 2 previously mentioned, these grooves forming the guide for the staple as will hereinafter more fully appear. This driver 5 is rigid with the driver bar 8, which latter rests flat-wise against one side of the staple former 1 and the bar 8 is provided with a pivoted latch 9 which engages the top of the staple former at 10 to insure downward movement of the staple former and driver in unison for a portion of the operation of the mechanism. A cam 11 is provided to engage a cam 12 on said latch, thereby to unlock the staple former when its lower end engages the' materials 130. thus allowing the staple driver to move down alone to insert the staple. Said latch is controlled by a spring 13, so that this latch will automatically snap into locking position when the mechanism is moved upward after the staple former has reached the limit of its downward motion. It will be seen that the lower end of the staple former is perfectly flat, so that it will rest squarely and firmly onthe top surface of the material 130, whereby the grooves 7 extend clear down to the said top surface of the materials, thus forming a lateral support for the staple throughout its length. The lower end of the staple driver can be slightly notched at 19 to engage the top or head of the staple.

Now the anvil or loop bar 20 upon which the staple is bent is carried by an arm 21 which is pivoted at 22 in the stationary casing 4, and the upper end portion 23 of this arm engages a cam portion 24, as shown 1n Figure 1, to hold the loop bar in operative position. It will be seen that the said loop bar has a V-shaped top or seat 25 in WhlCh the wire rests, and wherein the wire is held against lateral displacement, so that the wire is thus held in position to be properly bent by the staple former, whereby the staple Will be certain to be received in the grooves 7 of the staple former. The arm 21 has a cam 26 which is adapted to be'engaged by the cam 27 on the lower end of the staple driver bar 8, whereby theanvil or loop bar 20 will be pushed out of the way, after the staple is properly formed, thereby to permit the staple-driver 5. to insert the staple. Thus, as will be seen, the wire 28, when fed into the osition shown in Figure 5, is centered and iield against lateral movementby the anvll or loop bar itself, thereby permitting the lower ends of the staple former to be per fectly flat, inasmuch as with this construction there is no necessity of notching or otherwise forming the lower end of the staple former with a view to holding the -wire against lateral displacement, for this lateral displacement is prevented by the anvil or loop bar itself. In other words, when the staple former moves downward, its flat lower ends bear upon the wire, and press the wire into the center of the V- shaped notch 25 previously mentioned, thus ressing the wire and holding it against ateral displacement during the operation of cutting oil the length of wireand thereafter bending it into staple form.-

The cutting oif the wire, as will be seen, is done by the lower end of the staple former 1, this former being beveled at 2) to cooperate 'wardly and t ward with the beveled end 30 of the tube or guide 31 thru which the wire is fed into positlon. Consequently, when the staple former moves downward, it slides tightly against the beveled end 30 of the tube 31, and in this way the lower end of the staple l'oriner cuts off the wire which then bends it into form on the manner shown in this guide.

Ordinarily, the lower end 0] a staple former is notched or otherwise formed to hold the wire against lateral displacement. but this results in a slight space at each side of the staple, at the lower end of the staple former, into which the staple can be pressed or caused to bulge outwardly, usually at its head, or upper end. when the staples-are inserted in hard materials. This is for the reason, very obviously, that these spaces at each. side form places where the staple has no lateral support and it is free to bulge outiis has given a great deal of trouble at times. However. with the construction shown and described. which is illustrative .of the invention, there is no point from the top to thelower ends of the staple where. it is not supported laterally.

staple anvil or loop bar 20 Ill the i for the guide grooves 7 extend clear down to y the surface of the materials 130, as shown and described, and consequently the legs or side portions of the staples are guided or supported laterally for the entire length of the staples, and throughout the entire operation of inserting the materials, and while the points of the staple are being clinched on the clinch block 131. provided for this purpose. stapling machine. of course, is provided with a clinch block for engaging the points of the staples, when the staples are driven entirely through the work, or through the materials to be i fastened together. As shown. the clinch block 131 is located in the table or support 132 ,upon which the materials or the work is supported during the stapling operation. The resistance to the insertion of the staple is not only produced by the materials themselves, but also by the clinch block, and with the sides or legs of the staple fully supported laterally, at all points, as shown and described, the staple will be properly inserted by the pressure of the driver, in the manner explained.

us, the anvil 20, it will be seen, moves downwardly and laterally, out of the way of the staple and staple driver, and such downmovement is necessary, in order to clear the notch other words, if the anvil moved interference with the proper. action. and working of the mechanism. But with the pivot 22 located as shown, and with the cams The ordinary 25 from the staple. In;

merely; laterally, the V-shaped notch would catch on 126 y the staple, and there would thus be some will move downwardly, as it starts to move away from the head of the staple, and will thus clear the V-shaped notch from the transverse head of the staple.

What I claim as my invention is 1. In staple forming and driving mechanism, the combination of a staple former having guide grooves for the sides or legs ot the staple, said guide grooves extending downward to points Where the lower end of each groove willterminate at the surface of.

the material in which the staple is to be driven, thereby to provide lateral support for the legs of the. staple for the full length thereof, an anvil for insertion between said grooves, means cooperating with the lower end of the staple former to cut oil a length of wire resting on the anvil, a staple driver disposed insert the staple, provided with ribs fitting and sliding in said grooves, together with instrumentalities for automatically withdrawing the anvil downwardly and laterally after the formation of the staple, and for permitting cessation of movement of the staple former when its lower end engages the materials in which the staple is to be driven, the anvil being formed with means to hold the wire against lateral displacement, and means to hold said anvil in operative position with said wire holding means thereof accurately in line with and in the plane of said grooves and ribs, during the bending operation.

2. A structure as specified 1n claim l, said means to hold the wire against lateral displacement comprising a V-shaped notch-to between said grooves in position to.

receive and center and hold the wire the instrumentalities comprising an arm rigid.

with said anvil, means rigid with the staple driver to engage a portion of said arm,thereby to hold the anvil in operative position, said anvil having a V-shaped notch forming said means to hold the wire against, latera displacement, so that said downward movement of the anvil is necessary to clear the notch from the staple, and said instrumentalities also including means rigid with the staple driver to engage said arm and therer. by move said anvil out of the path of the staple. driver.

5. A. structure as specified in claim 1, said anvil having-a ll-shaped notch forming said means to hold the wire against lateral displacement, and said instrumentalities including means rigid with the staple driver to engage an element which is rigid with the anvil to thereby automatically move said anvil out of the path of the staple driver.

- WALTER r. nnwnousn. 

